Lubricating device for rotary drills.



H. R. HUGHES.

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR ROTARY DRILLS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1913.

Patented Apr. m 1915.

nown nonnnn nnenns, or noos'ron, Texas, Assren'on 'ro en t 1- events on COMPANY, OF HOUSTON, TAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

LUIBBICATING DEVICE FOR ROTARY DRILLS.

niaaraa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2d, T215...

Application filed June 30, 1913. Serial No. 776,856.

mounted on the head of the drill.

The main object of my present invention is to provide a lubricating device for rotary, drills which is so designed that the lubricant-holder does not interfere with the free passage of the disintegrated material or impede the flow of the water that is introduced into the hole to flush out the disintegrated material.

Another object is to provide a lubricating device for rotary drills in which the chamber for holding the lubricating medium is formed in a collar or sleeve that is adapted to be used for connecting the head and the stem of the-drill together.

Another object is to provide a rota boring drill comprising a head rovide with rotatable cutting devices, a s eeve or collar connected to said head and provided with an annular chamber for holdm a lubricating medium, and means where y the pressure of the water in the hole is exerted on the lubricating medium in said chamber so as to feed it automatically to the cutting devices on the head of the drill. And still another object is to provide an eflicient lubricating device of simple construction that is particularly adapted for use with a rotary core drill. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

T have herein shown my invention embodied in a roller core drill, namely, a drill in which the cutting rollers are so arranged that a .core will be left standing at the center of the hole, but. I wish it to be understood that my invention is not limited to a lubricating device for core drills, for by changing the device slightly it can be used with a drill in which the cutting rollers are so disposed that they disintegrate all of the material lying between the sides of the hole.

The figure of the drawings is a vertical transverse sectional view of a roller core drill provided with a lubricating device ponstructed in accordance with my inven- Referring to the drawings, A desi ates the head of the drill which is provide with rotatable cutting; devices, preferably approximately frusto-conical-shaped rollers 1 which are so disposed that they will form an annular hole around a. core that projects .upwardlythrough the center opening in the head A. The stem or operating member B of the drill is of the usual construction and 1s composed of a string of pipes, and the head A is connected to said stem by means of a collar or sleeve 0 which is provided with a chamber or reservoir 2 that holds a lubricating medium which is supplied automatically to the cutting rollers 1 so asto keep said rollers thoroughly lubricated.

The collar C is hollow so as to form an annular chamber 2 that will hold a large quantity of lubricant, and said collar is pro vided with portions that serve to connect it to the drill stem B and to the head A. To the embodiment of -m'y invention herein shown, the collar 0' is formed from two tubular-shaped members 3 and 4 arranged one within the other as shown in the drawings, the outer member A being spaced away from the inner member 3 so as to form an annular space 2 between said members. The lower end of the member 3 is screwed into a ring-shaped flange 5 on the upper end of a coupling 6 that forms the lower portion of the lubricant-holder, and the lower end of the member A is screwed onto said flange 5, the flange on the coupling 6 thus serving to connect the members 3 and A together and also forming a closure for the lower end of the annular space 2between the members 3 and 4. The inner member 3 is provided at its uppe end with an externally screwthreaded portion 7 that is screwed into the lower end of the drill stem 18, and a laterally projecting flange 8 is formed on .the member 3 a short distance below the screwthreaded portion 7 so as to form. a stop or abutment for a packing ring 9 that is interposed between the flange 7 and the lower end of the drill stem. The outer member 4 is provided at its upper end with an 1nwardly projecting horizontally disposed flange 10, and the inner edge of said flange 10 is preferably beveled, as shown in the drawings, so as to form a tapered seat for the packing ring 9, the downward pressure that the drill stem exerts on the packing ring tending to force said ring tightly against the tapered seat in the flange 10 and also tightly against the outer surface of the inner member 3.

In order that the lubricating medium in the chamber 2 will be supplied automatically to the bearings of the cutting rollers 1 I have provided the lubricant-holder with means whereby the pressure of the water that is introduced into the hole to flush out the disintegrated material will be exerted on the lubricating medium and will thus cause said lubricating medium to fiow through distributing ducts in the head that lead to the bearings of the rollers 1. In the embodiment of my'invention herein. shown a vertically disposed lubricant-pipe 11 which is arranged inside of the lubricating chamber 2, is connected at its lower end to the coupling 6, said pipe being provided at its upper end with a closure consisting of a cap 12 and also provided with a plurality of orifices 13 located just below said cap. A duct 14 in the coupling 6 that communicates with the. lower end of the lubricantpipe 11, leads to an annular duct 15 in the head A from which a plurality of branch ducts 15 lead to the bearing surfaces on which the rollers 1 turn. A water-pipe 16 is also located in the lubricating chamber 2, the lower end of said pipe terminating a short distance from the bottom of said chamber, and the upper end of said pipe being open andso disposed that the water which is introduced into the hole to flush' out the disintegrated material can enter said pipe, flow downwardly through same into the lower portion of the lubricating chamber 2 and thus exert upward pressure on the lubricating medium w in said chamber, thereby causing said lubricating medium to enter the orifices 13 in the upper end of the lubricant-pipe 11 and flow downwardl through said pipe to the distributing ducts in thehead that lead to the cuttin rollers. The water-pipe 16 of the drill herein shown is so arranged that the upper end of same projects through the flange 10 at a point outside of the drill stem B, as shown in the drawings, but I wish it to be understood that my invention is not limited to-such a construction for, if desired, the water-pipe 16 could be arranged in such a position that the upper end of same terminates'at a point as inside of. the stem B instead of at a point outside of said stem. With a drill of the construction herein shown,'there is sufiicient clearance around the core to permit the water that is pumped down through the drill stem to waste away on the outside of the drill toward the surface, and thus enter the upper end of the water-pipe 16.

Before the drill is put in operation. the lubricating medium m is introduced into the chamber 2 of the lubricant-holder through an opening which is normally closed by a plug 17 in the flange 10 of said holder. When the drill is in service the wash water that is introduced into the hole to flush out the disintegrated material flows downwardly through the water-pipe 16 into the lower portion of the chamber 2, as shown in the drawings, thereby exerting upward pressure on the lubricant wand thus causing said lubricant to enter the orifices 13 in the pipe ll and flow downwardly through said pipe to the distributing ducts that lead to the cutting devices on the head A. Consequently, the cutting devices on the head are kept thoroughly lubricated when the drill is in service owing to the fact that the lubricating medium is fed continuously to the cutting devices by the constant pressure which the wash water exerts on said lubri eating medium.

A lubricating device of the construction herein shown is compact and does not obstruct the free passage of the disintegrated material or impede the flow of the wash water; it will hold a large quantity of lubricating medium; and it is inexpensive to manufacture and is not apt to get out of order when it is in service.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lubricating device for rotary drills comprising a hollow ring or sleeve for holding the lubricating medium and adapted to be used for connecting the stem to the head of the drill, a water-pipe arranged in said sleeve with its lower end terminating above the bottom of the hollow space or chamber in the sleeve and its upper end terminating at a point outside of the drill stem so that the wash water or flushing water in the hole which surrounds the stem can enter said pipe, and a lubricant-pipe in said sleeve whosz lower end communicates with a distribu ing duct and whose upper end is so formed that the lubricating medium can enter same.

, 2. A lubricating device for rotary drills comprising a lubricant-holder formed of two cylindrical-shaped members arranged one within the other and spaced away from each other so as to form an annular chamber for holding a lubricant, a coupling device interposed between said members for connecting the lower en s of said members together, and means at the upper end of one of said members for detachably connecting the lubricant-holder to a drill stem.

3. A lubricating device for rotary drills comprising a lubricant-holder formed of two cylindrical-shaped members arranged one within the other'and spaced away from each other so as to form an annular chamber for holding a lubricant, a coupling device that serves to hold said member spaced apart and also connect the lower ends of said members together, means at the upper end of one of said members for detachably connecting the lubricant-holder to a drill stem, a lubricant-pipe in said annular chamben open at its upper end and having its lower end communicating with a distributing duct in said coupling device, and a water-pipe in said chamber open at its upper end and having its lower end terminating above the bottom of the chamber.

4:. A rotary drill comprising a stem, a head provided with cutting devices, a sleeve or collar of greater diameter than the stem that connects said head and stem together, said collar being provided with an annular chamber for holding a lubricating medium, a lubricant-pipe in said chamber that communicates with distributing ducts which lead to the cutting devices on the head, and a water pipe projecting part way down into said chamber and having its upper end terminating in the top wall of said chamber at a point outside of the drill stem for causing the water that is introduced into the hole to exert pressure on said lubricating medium so asto force it through said lubricating pipe and distributing ducts.

5. A rotary drill comprising a stem, a head provided with cutting devices, and a lubricant-holder separate and distinct from said stem and arranged between said stem and head, said holder comprising two tubular-shaped members arranged one within the other and spaced away from each other so as to form an annular chamber, means on one of said members for detachably connecting the holder tothe drill stem, a coupling interposed between said'members for connecting them together and for securing them to the head, and means for permitting the wash water that is introduced into the hole to exert pressure on the lubricating medium'in said annular chamber so-as to feed same to the cutting devices on the head.

6. A rotary drill comprising a stem, a head provided with cutting devices, a lubricant-holder arranged between said head and stem and consisting of two tubular-shaped members arranged one within the other, a

coupling device that secures the lower ends of said members together and connects the holder to the head, a threaded portion on the inner member of the holder that is screwed into the lower end of the drill stem, an inwardly projecting flange on the upper end of the outer member of the holder, and a packing ring in said flange against which the lower end of the drill stem bears.

7. A rotary drill comprising a stem, a head provided with cutting devices, a lubricant-holder arranged between said head and stem and consisting of two tubular-shaped members arranged one within the other, a coupling device that secures the lower ends of said members together and connects the holder to the head, a threaded portion on the inner member of the holder that is screwed into the lower end of the drill stem, an 1nwardly projecting flange on the upper end of the outer member of the holder, and a packing ring in said flange against which the lower end of the drill stem bears, a lubricant-pipe arranged inside of the holder and being maintained in position by said coupling device, and a water-pipe in said holder whose upper end is open sothat the water that is introduced into the hole can -flow downwardly through same and thus exert pressure on the lubricating medium in the hole.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my vsignature in the pressence of two witnesses,

this eleventh day of June 1913.

HOWARD ROJBARD HUGHES. Witnesses:

HYMAN LEVIN, -EARL Lnrr. 

